Trap door construction



Jan. 9, 1934. J. R. BORBA 1,942,681

TRAP DOOR CONSTRUCTION Original Filed Sept. 29, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. JOSEPH R Era/EBA BY ATTORNEY Jan. 9, 1934. J. R. BORBA TRAP DOOR CONSTRUCTION Original Filed Sepi. 29,

1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. Josfp/-f E 5012EA 'i TTORNEY Jan. 9, 1934. .1. R. BoRBA TRAP DOOR CONSTRUCTION Original Filed Sept. 29, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVEN TOR. JOSEP/J EORBA ca ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 9, 1.9.34'

TRAP DOOR CONSTRUCTION Joseph R. Borba, Lathrop, Calif.

Original application September 29, 1930, Serial No. 485,175. Divided and this application March 19, 1932. Serial No. 600,077

6 Claims.

This invention relates to improved apparatus for trapping robbers.

An object of my invention is to provide improved apparatus for protecting banks against biuglars or robbers.

Another object of my invention is to provide improved apparatus for use in banks which may be conveniently operated to trap burglars.

A further object of my invention is to provide improved safety apparatus for use in banks having electrically operated mechanism for preventing the escape of a robber.

Other objects more or less apparent will present themselves or will be specifically pointed out in the description to follow.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of safety apparatus for use in banks which is constructed in accordance with my invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Figure l;

Fig. 3 is a sectional View showing in detail the switch for commencing the operation of the apparatus;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view showing in detail the locking lug for the trap doors;

Fig. 5 is a sectional View taken on the line 5 5 of Figure 6;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Figure 2;

Fig. 7 is a sectional view showing the mechanism for locking and unlocking the bank doors;

and

Fig. 8 is a sectional view taken on the line 8 8 of Figure 7.

Referring to the drawings the numeral 1 represents the main oor structure of a bank or other building having a side wall 2 within which is provided an opening suitable in sizeto accommodate two swinging doors 3. Suitably secured to the floor 1 at points beneath the doors, is a U-shaped bracket 4 having a plate 5 nor mally supported thereon. The plate is provided with upwardly disposed pins 6 which extend through vertical openings in the floor and are adapted to be raised by the plate to positions above the door and at each side of the doors. The pins 6, when elevated by the plate 5, are adapted to lock the doors 3 in closed positions to prevent their being opened except by a person operating a releasing mechanism. Each pin is provided with a rubber buffer '7 which contacts with the lower surface of the oor and prevents the making of any undue noise as the pins are moved into a locking position at the sides of (Cl. ll3--59) the doors 3. The plate 5 is normally held against the bracket 4 by a latch member 8 which is pivotally attached to the said bracket, a spring 9 serving to normally maintain the latch member in engagement with the plate. The lower end of the latch member is secured to a core 10 60 of an electromagnet 11, the coil of the said magnet being connected by a wire 12 to a source of electrical power and by a wire 13 to a push button switch 14. The switch 14 is preferably located within reach of an employee of the bank, and is connected to the source of power by a wire 15. Upon pressing the push button switch 14 the circuit to the electro-magnet is closed, thereby permitting the latter to become energized. Upon the electro-magnet becoming energized the core l0 is drawn toward the same, thereby causing the latch member 8 to be moved about its pivot so as to causeits disengagement from the plate 5. The plate 5 and its pins 6 are thereupon free to move inv upward directions to lock the doors 3 75 against movement. The plate 5 and the pins 6 are moved in upward directions by a lever member 16 which is pivotally supported by a downwardly disposed bracket 17 secured to the floor 1, one end of the said lever member being in contact with the underneath surface of the plate and the other end being secured to a cord 18. The cord 18 has a weight 19 suspended therefrom, which upon the release of the latch member 8 from the plate 5, moves downwardly to 85 cause the lever member to turn about its pivot. The end of the lever member which is in engagement with the plate, is thereupon elevated, thus causing the plate and the pins to be raised so the saidpins'project above the floor 1 to 90 lock the doors 3 against movement. The cord 18 extends around a drum 20 located in the wall 2 of theV building structure, and a crank 21 provided on the drum permits the cord to be rewound thereon to elevate the weight and bring the lever member 16 to its normal position. The plate 5 and the pins 6 move downwardly by gravity to their normal positions as soon as the pressure of the lever member 16 is removed from the plate, thus unlocking the doors.

The drum 20 is preferably located inside an opening in the wall 2 of the. building structure, and a door 22, normally closing the opening, may be conveniently opened to operate the crank 21. 05 When the lever member 16 is moved by the weight 1 19 so as to elevate the plate 5 and the pins 6, its opposite end comes into engagement with a counter balanced L-shaped catch member 23 which is pivotally mounted on the building structure. The catch member 23 upon engagement with the end of the lever member 16, maintains the latter in a position whereby the plate 5 and its pins 6 are in an elevated position. The catch member 23 is released from the lever member 16 by a cord 24 which extends from the said catch member to the opening in the wall 2 where the drum 20 is located, the said cord being capable of manipulation by a person inside the building structure. Upon releasing the catch member 23 from the lever member 16, the weight member 19 may be moved upwardly by the crank 21.

After the doors 3 have been locked to prevent the escape of a robber from the bank, suitable mechanism may be actuated to trap the robber and hold him securely within the confines of a specially built cell. Suitably positioned on the floor 1 in the vicinity of a switch 14, or in any other location available to the bank employees, is a pivoted foot rail 25 having a downwardly extending part which projects through the floor and is provided with a contact point 26 connected by a wire 27 to a pivoted counter balanced con- -tact arm 28. By moving the foot rail 25 to the right, the contact point 26 is carried into engagement with a stationary Contact point 29 which is connected by a wire 30 to the source of electrical power. A spring 25' serves to return `the rail 25 to its normal position. The contact arm 23 is positioned to intercept the weight 19 when the latter moves by gravity in a downward direction. The weight 19 in moving downwardly moves the contact arm 28 about its pivot, thereby Y causing a contact point 31 thereon to engage with a contact point 32 which is connected by a wire 33 to a motor 34, the said motor being connected by a wire 35 to the source of electrical power. Upon the movement of the weight 19 in a A. downward direction the switch on the circuit to the motor 34 automatically is closed, thereby enabling the circuit to be closed entirely by the manipulation of the foot rail 25. The motor 34 serves as a means for actuating a trap door incohanism to be later described.

At points in front of the doors 3, the floor l is provided with an opening within which a trap door 36 is normally located. Located directly beneath the trap door is a chamber enclosed by four side walls 37, one of which is provided with a door 38. The chamber is suitable in size to accommodate the trap door when the latter is dropped in a downward direction. The bottom of the trap door 36 is provided with a number of bearings 39 within which a number of racks 40 are slidably mounted. There are two pair of the racks, one pair being located adjacent one side edge of the trap door and another pair being located adjacent the opposite side edge of the same. The teeth of each pair of the racks 40 are meshed with a pinion 41 which is securely mounted on a shaft 42. The shaft 42 is mounted in suitable bearings on the trap door and extends transversely across the chamber and through vertical slots 43 in opposite side walls 37. One end of the shaft 42 is provided with a gear 44 which meshes with an intermediate gear 45 the latter being meshed with a gear 46 secured to the shaft of the motor 34. The outwardly disposed end of i each of the racks 46 is slidably secured to a spring 37. The motor 34, when actuated by the manipulation of the foot rail 25, turns the shaft 42 so that the pinions 4l move the racks 40 and the lugs 47 inwardly. The movement of the racks inwardly, causes the lugs to be withdrawn from the openings in the side walls 37, thereby releasing the supports for the trap door 36. As soon as the lugs 47 are so released from the openings, the trap door drops within the chamber thereby carrying any robber or other person standing thereon with it. To take up the shock of the falling trap door 36, I have mounted a plurality of shock absorbers 49 at the bottom part of the chamber. The shock absorbers are provided with pistons 50 which project inside the chamber and are pivotally attached at the ends thereof to inclined bars 51, the said bars being located in the path or the falling trap door and fastened at their upper ends to the walls 37 of the chamber. When the trap door 36 falls upon the inclined bars 5l the pistons are slowly moved within their shock absorbers 49, thereby preventing the trap door from falling with a sudden jar upon the bottom of the chamber. tained in a substantially horizontal plane by a number of rollers 52 secured to its opposite side edges, the said rollers being located in vertical grooves in the side walls 37 which serve as guides for the rollers. Y

ln order to cover the top of the chamber when the trap door 36 is dropped downwardly, I have provided curved tracks 53 at opposite side walls 37 which serve to support the side edges of two iiexible steel doors 54. The lower ends or the ilexible steel doors 54 are fastened to chains 55 which extend over suitably supported rollers 56 and sprockets 56 the upper ends of said chains being fastened to the side edges of the trap door 36, as at 53. Also fastened to the said trap door, as at 56, are cables 57 which extend over rollers 59 mounted at the lower part of the side walls 37 of the chamber and are fastened at opposite ends to the lower ends of the chain 55. When the trap door is dropped downwardly, the chains 55 are moved over their rollers and sprockets, thereby causing the flexible steel doors 54 to be moved upwardly within their guides 53. As soon as the trap door has completed its downward movement, the flexible steel doors 54 will have been carried to points where the chamber is completely covered thereby.

At this particular time the robber heretofore standing on the trap door 36 will be confined The trap door is main lit within the chamber enclosed by the side walls 37 Y.

ist

of the shaft 65 is provided with a gear 66 in -.-v

mesh with a gear 67 on a shaft 68, the said shaft 68 carrying two other of the sprockets 56. The motor 60 is connected to the source of power by a wire 69 and to a switch 70 by a wire 71, the

said switch being also connected to the source of v power. Upon closing the switch 70 the circuit to the motor 60 is closed, thereby causing electrical energy to cause its operation. With the operation of the motor 60 the shafts 62, 65 and 68 are rotated, thereby causing the sprockets 56 to also rotate. As the sprockets are rotated the iso chains 55 are moved downwardly over them, thus pulling the trap door .36 upwardly, and carrying the flexible steel doors 54 back to their normal positions. As soon as the trap door 36 has been moved back to its normal position the switch may be opened to prevent the further operation of the motor 60.

It will be observed that the foot rail 25 will be returned by the spring 25 to a position whereby the contact 26 thereon does not engage with contact 29, as soon as the pressure of ones foot is removed therefrom. The disengagement of contact 26 from contact 29 prevents any further operation of the motor 34.

This application is a division of my application, Serial No. 485,175, filed September 29, 1930, entitled Bank safety lock, patented April 5, 1932, Number 1,852,642, wherein the features herein shown and described were previously illustrated.

It is apparent to those skilled in the art that my improved safety device for banks may be embodied in other forms other than that shown, so for this and other apparent reasons, I desire my invention included broadly within the spirit of the appended claims.

Having described my invention what I claim is:

l. In safety apparatus for banks, a trap door located in the iioor of a bank, a plurality of walls located beneath the trap door forming an enclosed chamber into which the trap door may drop, means carried by the trap door for engaging with the walls of the chamber, whereby the trap door may be supported above the chamber, electrically operated apparatus for causing the means to become disengaged from the walls, and shock absorbing means positioned to intercept the trap door as it falls through the chamber.

2. In safety apparatus for banks, a trap door normally located in the oor of a bank, a plurality of walls located beneath the trap door forming an enclosed chamber into which the trap door may drop, supporting means for normally supporting the trap door above the chamber, electrically operated means for moving the supporting means from a supporting position, whereby the trap door may be dropped into the chamber, a cover normally positioned at the sides of the chamber but adapted to be actuated by the downward movement of the trap door for enclosing the top of the chamber, and means for elevating the trap door to its normal position.

3. In safety apparatus for banks, an enclosed chamber located beneath a floor, a trap door normally positioned in alignment With the oor and so disposed as to normally enclose the top of the chamber, supporting means for supporting the trap door in its normal position, means for withdrawing the supporting means whereby the trap door may bodily drop into the chamber, and shock absorbing means located at the lower part of the chamber and extending through the walls of the said chamber for intercepting the trap door in its downward movement.

4. In safety apparatus for banks, an enclosed chamber, a trap door normally located above the chamber, supporting means for supporting the trap door in its normal position, means for Withdrawing the supporting means, whereby the trap door may bodily drop into the chamber, and shock absorbing means extending inside the chamber from opposite walls thereof for retarding the speed at which the trap door drops.

5. In safety apparatus for banks, an enclosed chamber, a trap door normally located above the chamber, supporting means for supporting the trap door in its normal position, means for withdrawing the supporting means, whereby the trap 105 door may drop into the chamber, a cover actuated by the dropping of the trap door for closing the top of the chamber and electrically operated means for returning the trap door and the cover to their normal positions.

6. In safety apparatus for banks, an enclosed chamber, a trap door normally located above the chamber, supporting means for supporting the trap door in its normal position, means for withdrawing the supporting means, whereby the trap door may drop into the chamber, a cover normally located at the side of the chamber, means associated with the trap door and cover adapted to be actuated by the dropping of the trap door to move the cover to close the top of the chamber, and electrical means for restoring the trap door and the cover to their normal positions.

JOSEPH R. BORBA. 

